4.3 Mineral Resources

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Vocabulary

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gemstone- a hard multicolored mineral that has a shiny/glassy luster.
smelting- a process of which an ore is melting to take out the useful metals from the other elements.
alloy- a solid mixture of two or more metals.

Outline

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The Uses of Minerals

• people that live today still use minerals
  • the metal body and window glass come from minerals around us
• Gemstones
  • Beautiful gemstones like rubies and sapphires are all minerals.
    • usually has a shiny glassy luster.
  • Can be used as mechanical parts and for grinding/polishing.
• Metals
  • Some minerals are metals
    • like aluminum, iron, copper, and silver.
  • handy because metal is flexible and can be bent
    • can be the metal filament in a light bulb, or steel girders that frame office buildings
• Other Useful Minerals
  • Many other uses
    • minerals in foods, medicines and fertilizers

Ores

• contain metal
• metal doesn't come in pure form
  • usually combination with other rocks
    • with mineral chalcopyrite----

Diagram- Quartz and Metal

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